His Just Deserve
by FlowersRcute
Summary: Sasuke returns to Konoha, expecting her to be eagerly waiting for him. However, he didn't think that so many changes could have taken place in the seven years he was gone. At the end, he got just what he deserved. [SakuNaru, slight SakuSasu]


Hey everyone!

This is my first Naruto fanfic. I hope the idea hasn't been used before, and if it has, then I can assure you that I didn't get it from there. Also, sorry if the writing sucks a bit; I haven't written in ages.

First of: **WARNING!!** **This fic contains spoilers for everything that happened up to chapter 344 of the Naruto Manga.**

**Pairing: **Sakura x Naruto, slight Sakura x Sasuke

**Rating: **PG- My goal was to write a clean fanfiction, and I'm certain I've achieved that goal. The rating is just because it contains concepts that kids might not get.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto!

**His Just Deserve**

by FlowersRcute

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke hit the ground tiredly. Finally, he could see the edge of Konoha village. Just in time, too. Blood dripped from the wound in his chest, and the taste of the thick, red liquid sat in his mouth as a nauseating reminder of what had happened to put him in such a state. 

It had been four years ago that he had decided that he no longer needed Orochimaru. He quickly got rid of the snake. That was when he set out to find his brother, Itatchi, to kill him; to meet his goal. He had been sure that he was strong enough to match Itatchi, perhaps even overpower him. A week ago, however, he realised how wrong he had been. Of course, he hadn't been as rash as the previous time they had fought. After all, he had had four years to play several likely scenarios out in his head, and had thought up a plan to best each one.

Sasuke smiled cynically. How wrong he had been. Even with his curse seal activated to level two, he was no match for Itatchi. Itatchi had copied chidori, and just to spite him, had used his own attack against him. Then he went on to torture him with the genjustsu of the mangekyou sharingan. He, Sasuke, had thought he would die from the pain. A part of him wished he did, for the words his brother next spoke would always stick in his mind: "Selling your soul to that snake was pointless. Arrogance won't make up for your lack of strength."

And how right he was. Orochimaru was nothing compared to the Akatsuki, let alone Itatchi. It was true he had become arrogant about his strength after he had gotten rid of Orochimaru. And it didn't help him one bit. Seven years of his life had been wasted; seven years he could have spent with _her_.

The night he left Konoha stuck in his mind as a bitter-sweet reminder of what he had left behind. She had promised him that he would be happy with her, and how many times had he wondered whether that was the truth. And how he had wanted to hug her then. She was right there in front of him, not moving a muscle. It would have been so easy just to reach out and press her to him. But he hadn't done that. Instead, he had spent torturous nights alone, trying to forget everything that had ever happened between Team 7.

Sasuke sighed. The time for regrets was over. Konoha and a new life were a few steps way. He would gain more strength, and when Itatchi finally came back to the village (which he knew he would, since the Akatsuki still hadn't captured Naruto), he would defeat him once and for all. And in the mean time, he'd have her with him, always there to comfort him and fill up the lonely void within him.

"Sakura… Please hold on a while longer," he whispered under his breath. And the next moment, his body went limp and darkness engulfed him.

**oooooooo**

"Naruto, hold on!" came Sakura's voice, annoyance lacing every word.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto questioned, looking at her strangely. He was leaving for a mission, and she had stopped him just before the village's exit. In response to his question, she roughly shoved something into his hands. "What is it?" he asked dumbly, looking at the object in his hands.

Sakura testily placed her hands on her hips and replied, "It's a shirt, baka!"

"What for?" he asked, still confused.

"To wear of course!" she replied, as if it was obvious.

"But I'm already wearing one."

Sakura let out a frustrated growl. "That one's dirty," she said, pressing her finger to a ramen-stain on the shirt he was wearing.

"Mmm…. So?" He really didn't see the problem. He was going on a mission now, and the shirt would get dirty anyway. What was the point of putting on a clean shirt? (Although he dared not voice these thoughts to her).

"Just put on the new one," Sakura said, an air of finality in her voice.

"You just want to see me shirtless, don't you, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, winking at her suggestively. Sakura blushed a little, and he snickered softly. All the same, he pulled the shirt he was wearing over his head and replaced it with the new one.

"And I brought your Jounin vest," Sakura said, handing him the green vest.

"Sakura-chan! That thing is ugly," he stated bluntly.

"Oh come on, Naruto. A shirt on its own won't protect you in a fight, and we don't want you dying now, do we? You haven't even become Hokage yet!" Sakura yelled, exasperated. Again, Naruto relinquished and put on the vest.

"Happy now?" he asked, handing her his dirty shirt.

"No," she said, pouting. Naruto laughed softly, and placed his hand tenderly against her cheek.

"Don't push yourself too much while I'm gone, okay?" he said gently, looking lovingly into her eyes. She returned his gaze, offering him a caring smile of her own. Naruto touched his lips quickly to hers, and resumed his walk to meet the rest of the team. Sakura followed a few steps, and gazed after him as he left the village.

"Stay safe, Naruto," she whispered, and then turned to go home.

**oooooooo**

A large commotion rose up outside. Sakura, who had just finished the laundry, looked out her window to see what was happening. A large crowd was gathered at the village's entrance. Sakura immediately suspected the worst. Had Naruto been gravely injured already? They had barely been gone for an hour. She shook her head. There was no point upsetting herself over her own silly paranoia.

Sakura left her house and made her way to the gathered crowd. She could see a tall man in the centre, holding a limp body in his arms. She couldn't see the face clearly, but she could at least tell that the injured person wasn't Naruto (he lacked Naruto's blond hair).

"Sakura, you won't believe it!" Ino yelled, running towards her with tears in her eyes. "It's Sasuke! Sasuke's back…"

Sakura's body numbed. Sasuke? _Sasuke? _Could it be…?

And then darkness washed over her.

**oooooooo**

Sakura could faintly hear people talking around her. One of the voices belonged to Tsunade.

"Do you think he'll make it, Hokage-sama?" a nurse asked.

"I'm not sure," Tsunade began, then continued, "The wound in his chest should heal well enough. He lost quite a lot of blood, but he should be okay. He's also suffering from chakra depletion, and it seems he's been hit by the mangekyou sharingan's genjutsu. That's what worries me. The effects of the mangekyou sharingan are quite severe. I can't heal emotions. Whether he pulls through is up to him."

"Tsunade-shisou?" Sakura mumbled, pushing herself up. She was on a hospital bed.

"Sakura, you're awake. Are you feeling okay?" Tsunade asked, rushing over to her from where she stood by the door.

"I'm okay," Sakura said, staring down at her hands. "Is Sasuke… Is he really back?"

Tsunade nodded her head. "Yes." Tears started forming in Sakura's eyes.

"Where… where did they find him?" she asked softly, allowing the tears to drip onto the blanket.

"Just outside the village, about 500m out," she said.

"Naruto?" Sakura questioned, wondering whether it was he who had found Sasuke.

Tsunade shook her head. "Their mission was in the direct opposite direction of where he was found. One of the returning scout teams found him."

Sakura nodded lamely. He was back? After all this time? Tsunade, seeing the struggle within her, laid a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "You made your decision," she said, and then turned to leave. "I'll send someone to take you home. Relaxation is crucial during this time." And then she left.

**oooooooo**

"Are you going to be okay, Sakura? Maybe I should stay with you," Ino said, handing Sakura a cup of coffee and sitting down opposite her. They were in Sakura's living room.

"I'll be okay," Sakura said, giving Ino an overly bright smile.

"You're hiding your emotions again. This was a big shock to us all; it _has_ been seven years," Ino said reasonably.

"Yeah…" Sakura mumbled.

"Ugh, I give up," Ino growled, throwing her hands up in frustration. "I'll leave you to it then. Try to relax, would you?" Ino showed herself to the door and left.

Sakura stared into her cup. Seven years since he had left the village; four and a half years since she had last seen him. They (Naruto, Sai, Yamato, Kakashi, and herself) had meant to go looking for him. They really had. When they had last fought him, they knew they only had six months before Orochimaru would take his body. Five months after they had fought him, they set out again to find him. Jiraiya had managed to find information on the location of Orochimaru's lair, so the task had seemed easy enough. When they got there, however, all they found was Kabuto's body, and a giant, dead snake that they could only assume was Orochimaru. Sasuke was nowhere. It comforted them somewhat. At least it hadn't been the Akatsuki who had killed them, but Sasuke himself.

They searched for Sasuke then, but with no idea where to start, their search was completely fruitless. They were forced to return to the village. It was quite obvious that Sasuke had gone after his brother. Unfortunately, they had no way of finding him. And so they waited. Whenever Akatsuki were around, they would try to get as much information as possible. It proved difficult, since the dying Akatsuki wouldn't so easily give up the location of their comrades.

As the years went on, Sakura had found herself deteriorating. Why couldn't she stop him? Why hadn't she thought of knocking him out? Why had she been so weak as to fall in love with him? Tsunade warned her that she was regressing in her medical abilities. She needed to find stability. And last year, a few months after her eighteenth birthday, she did. She had made her decision.

Sakura placed her face in her hands and cried. Her body shook. Why had she made the decision so early? She should have waited a few more years. At that time, however, she had never really believed that they would find Sasuke. She never thought she would see him again. And now… he was back. He was back. And she could never belong to him. Ever.

**oooooooo**

Naruto moved through the trees quickly, setting an almost impossible pace for his companions. The mission was complete, and he wanted to get home quickly. He didn't like leaving Sakura alone during these months, especially with the increased unrest between the villages lately.

Finally, the village was in sight. He was pleased at how quickly the mission had been completed. They had completed the mission and made it back within three days.

When they entered the village, he asked one of the other men to file a report with the Hokage. He wanted to get home. "Sure thing, Boss," the man said, winking at Naruto. Naruto smiled sheepishly, and made his way home. Luckily, he met no one on the way, and soon he was standing in front of the door to his house.

"Sakura-chan! I'm home!" he called cheerfully, entering the house. No answer came. Naruto frowned. Something wasn't right here. The curtains were all closed, and the place had a musky scent (as though the room hadn't been aired in quite sometime).

"Sakura!" he called again, his voice shaking a bit this time. He was afraid – afraid of what might have happened to her. "Sakura!" he yelled louder. No answer came. Naruto walked through the house. The kitchen was empty, the dishes piled carelessly. Sakura was usually neat. This wasn't like her. The bedroom was also empty, the bed looking as though it hadn't been occupied in quite some time. Naruto's heart beat faster. What was going on?

When he returned to the living room, he saw a cup on the coffee table. Upon further investigation, he saw it was still full, the coffee turned sour and thick. Naruto frowned. He had to find her.

He rushed out of the house, straight to the Hokage's office. He saw Ino exiting her house and calling to him, but he ignored her and continued on, increasing his speed. Finally, he reached Tsunade's office. He burst through the doors, rushing up to the Hokage's desk. Tsunade stared at him, wide eyed. Then her face fell into a look of comprehension. "Where is she?" Naruto gasped, grasping hold of the desk and leaning over it to face Tsunade directly.

"At Sasuke's house. He's returned," she said simply. Naruto let go of the desk, shocked. He took a few steps backwards, shaking his head, unwilling to accept the reality of the situation. "No… she wouldn't… would she?" he whispered, tears forming in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," said Tsunade.

"No!" Naruto yelled. "I won't give up! I won't lose to Sasuke!" Naruto turned, and left the Hokage's office.

**oooooooo**

Sakura hummed cheerfully as she cleaned Sasuke's house. He was still in the hospital, and would stay there for another day or so. She had gone to see him. His time with Orochimaru had treated him badly. His handsome face looked tired and worn, and his eyes had heavy black bags under them. But she was determined to get him back to his old self. She wouldn't stop until he was the same Sasuke he had been years ago. She couldn't wait to tell Naruto the good news!

Sakura gasped. Naruto… She had almost forgotten about him. She had been here, in Sasuke's house, for three days now. It was reasonable to assume that it would be dirty after such a long time of standing empty. And she knew that if she stayed at home, her thoughts would give her no peace. Because of her condition, she had been relieved of her duty as medic-nin for the time being, and so she had nothing to occupy her mind. Cleaning, at the very least, kept her from thinking about the future; from what would happen once Naruto got home and Sasuke got out of the hospital.

Sakura was still deep in thought when the door suddenly flew open. She quickly turned to face the intruder, ready to defend herself, but her actions were unnecessary. Her face blanched. It was…

"Sakura-chan, I told you to take it easy," Naruto said, his voice shaking.

"Naruto, I can explain," Sakura said quickly, throwing down the feather duster and rushing towards him. "Sasuke…" she began, placing her hands against Naruto's chest, but she was cut off.

"Let's go, Sakura," Naruto said, turning away from her and heading towards their house.

Sakura stared after him, her hands still poised in the air. Then she rushed after him. "Naruto, please, I was just…."

Naruto swung around and glared at her. Oh, she knew he was trying to be angry with her. But he couldn't be. His sadness outweighed his anger. She knew he had been crying; she knew she was the one that had done this to him. And she hated herself for it. But, her mind reasoned, she was just being kind to Sasuke. It didn't mean she was in love with him... did it?

"Ino can finish up. Shikamaru is on a mission at the moment anyway," Naruto said, and resumed his walk home. Sakura had no choice but to follow.

**oooooooo**

Dinner that night was eerily quiet. Once they had gotten home, Naruto had ordered some ramen, saying it was too late to cook. Sakura's thoughts kept going back to Sasuke. Did she love him? Of course, her heart yelled. Of course! Why else had she deteriorated after he had left? Why else was she now burning with regret over the decision she had made about a year and a half ago? The only logical explanation was that she still loved Sasuke, more than she could ever love Naruto…

"Sakura…" Naruto began. Sakura looked at him guiltily, pulling herself way from her thoughts. How could she think about her love for Sasuke in the presence of Naruto? "When did he get back?" he asked.

"The day you left for your mission. They found him just outside the village. It seems he had fought Itatchi, since he was under the effects of the mangekyou sharingan," Sakura said as casually as she could.

"Is he… is he okay?" he asked uncertainly. Sakura nodded, trying to give him a comforting smile. "Go to bed, you need to rest," Naruto said softly, standing up and gathering the dishes.

"Naruto, I can take care of myself! I don't need you fawning over me the whole time!" she yelled angrily. Naruto stared at her, wide eyed. Sakura gasped, realising what she had said, and stormed from the room. Naruto listlessly started doing the dishes, trying to ignore the sobs coming from the bedroom.

When Naruto finally went to bed, the sobs had died down. Entering the bedroom, he saw Sakura asleep under the blanket. Taking of only his shoes and shirt, he climbed into bed next to her.

"Sakura," he whispered, softly touching her cheek with his hand. The smile that unconsciously lifted her lips at his touch made his heart ache. "I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan. I couldn't bring him back, and then I selfishly took you for myself. Now you can never be together." Tears silently rolled down his cheeks. Then, deciding he had the right, he moved closer to Sakura and wrapped his arms around her. Burying his face in her hair, he allowed sleep to overcome him.

The next morning, Sakura was the first to awaken. She was reluctant to open her eyes; she was quite comfortable. Finally deciding to open her eyes, Sakura found herself securely wrapped in Naruto's embrace. After all she had done… he still loved her? She had abandoned him to clean Sasuke's house, she had yelled at him… she had even regretted everything that had happened between them. She had convinced herself that she could only be happy with Sasuke; that she could only love him. And yet… Naruto was still here for her.

"Sakura…" Naruto whispered. Sakura looked at him. She hadn't realised that he was awake. "I know you love Sasuke more than me. I know you'd rather be with him right now. I'm really sorry."

"It's okay, Naruto. It's not your fault," Sakura said. She untangled herself from his arms, and got up.

"Sasuke is one lucky guy," Naruto said as he watched her dress. She stared at him quizzically, wondering what he meant. Naruto got up, walked over to her, and said, "He's lucky that he has your heart." Naruto made his way out the door, leaving a stunned Sakura behind.

**oooooooo**

Sakura entered the hospital quietly, hoping no one would see her. She felt like a naughty child who was doing something she shouldn't. She made her way to Sasuke's room. She stood in front of the door, unsure whether she should enter. Finally, she turned the doorknob and entered the room.

There sat Uchiha Sasuke, propped against the headboard of the hospital bed, reading a book.

"Sasuke?" she whispered. He slowly turned his head to look at her. She saw how his eyes widened; how his book dropped out of his hands.

"Sakura?" His voice was rough, different from what she was used to. Sakura walked closer, and handed him a single flower. A Daffodil.

"Welcome back, Sasuke-kun," she said, smiling through the tears that started forming in her eyes.

"Sakura-chan… I'm sorry I didn't come back sooner," he said, twirling the flower between his fingers. Sakura laughed brightly, waving her hands in front of her.

"Think nothing of it. How do you feel?"

"I'm… going to be okay," he said. Then he looked up at her. The emotion in his eyes made her feel uncomfortable. "Sakura…" Sasuke began, but was cut of by Sakura's nervous laugh.

"I have to go, Sasuke-kun. I'll come and see you again later," she said, and left the room hurriedly. He stared after her sadly, once again regretting that he hadn't taken any action to bring her closer to him.

**oooooooo**

Sakura walked through the streets of Konoha, pondering on the incident with Sasuke. What she had seen in his eyes… it was the first time she had ever seen him looking at her with so much love and care. It scared her. It made her feel… unsure. And in a way, it made her feel sad.

But how could she be sad that he loves her? How could it scare her? It was because Sasuke was a stranger to her. She no longer knew him. He wasn't the person he used to be, and he would never be that person again. She knew it. Sasuke was never there when she needed him. It was always Naruto. Naruto cared for her after Sasuke left, he gave her bright smiles when she needed it most, and he loved her. And she knew that, if he could, he would unselfishly give her to Sasuke, if only to see her happy. So much of what Naruto had done was for her; to make her happy.

How could she continue to insist that she was in love with Sasuke? How could she love a stranger? She knew now that Sasuke wasn't the lucky one, Naruto was. Naruto was the one that held her heart the tightest.

**oooooooo**

"Sakura-chan? What are you doing back so early?" Naruto asked from where he sat at the kitchen table, going over some mission stats. "I thought you went to see Sasuke?"

"I realised that this is the place I belong," Sakura said, giving him a warm smile. Naruto quickly got up and walked over to her.

"Do you really mean that, Sakura? If I could, I would give you away… if you wanted," Naruto said, searching her eyes. Sakura just smiled and put her arms around his neck. Naruto hesitantly encircled her waist with his own arms. Then she pulled his head down to meet his lips with a warm kiss. Breaking off, she said, "Don't you dare give me away," she said mock-threateningly. Naruto smiled in response, and claimed her lips again.

**oooooooo**

The next day, Sasuke was released from the hospital. He first went to his house, and was pleasantly surprised to find it cleaned. Looking around, he spotted a note on the coffee table in his living room. It read:

_Welcome back! This is our welcoming _

_present to you: a clean house!_

_Hope you appreciate it!_

_From Sakura and Ino_

Sasuke smiled. Of course it would be those two who would clean his house. He was about to put down the note when he saw a post script written in large, untidy letter:

_Hey Sasuke-teme, don't run _

_away again or I'll kill you!_

_From Naruto_

"Psh, as if you could," Sasuke whispered in reply to the comment, smiling. It was good to be back.

"And now to find Sakura," he said to himself, and after making a list of all the supplies he needed (he might as well go shopping too, he reasoned), he set out.

At the market, Sasuke got all the things he needed. He then quickly went home to deposit the packages, and then set out again. He had hoped to run into Sakura at the market, but she was nowhere to be found. Before he had left the village, she always clung to him, and he had never had need to search for her, and so he now had no idea where to start looking. Eventually, he swallowed his pride and headed to Ino's flower shop. Perhaps she would know where Sakura was.

**oooooooo**

Ino was idly reading a booking, waiting for customers. Today was especially quiet, probably because it was a weekend and everyone was too tired for romance. "Shika is always tired; he's never in the mood for romance," she whispered moodily. Ino blushed at her statement, knowing it wasn't true. Shikamaru knew how to charm a girl.

Ino looked up when she heard the bell chime by the door. She was surprised to see Sasuke entering the shop.

"Sasuke-kun! How are you feeling?" she cooed, though less seductively than she used to.

"I'm okay," he answered. Then he continued, blushing a little, "Do you know where I can find Sakura?"

"Sakura?" Ino asked, lifting her eyebrows. "Well, she'll probably be at home, Here, I'll write down the directions for you."

After taking the note from Ino and thanking her, Sasuke set out for Sakura's house. Soon enough, he found the house. He could hear noises coming from the kitchen.

"Good, she's awake," he thought. It was still relatively early, and he wouldn't have wanted to wake her.

Taking a deep breath, Sasuke knocked on the door. "Coming!" came Sakura's voice, slightly muffled by distance.

"Sasuke-kun! What a surprise! Come in!" she said cheerfully, inviting him into he house. "Would you like some coffee? I was just brewing a pot."

"Sure, thanks Sakura," Sasuke said, following her to the kitchen. As they passed through the living room, Sasuke saw a black shirt with an orange Konoha symbol printed on it lying on one of the couches. Later, he thought that that should have been his first clue that things had changed more than he had realised.

"What brings you here, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, handing him a cup of coffee and sitting down opposite him at the kitchen table.

"Sakura… I wanted to ask you something," he began nervously. She gave him a comforting smile, and he continued, "Do you remember the night I left? You… eh… made me an offer."

"Oh," Sakura said, realisation dawning upon her. "Sasuke, I…"

"Does the offer still stand? Are you… are you still willing to do that for me? To never make me regret staying with you?" Sasuke asked, staring at her intently. The look on her face wasn't exactly how he had imagined it would be. He had thought she would scream in pure bliss, cry, and then jump on him. But she didn't. She looked at him sadly; she looked at him with pity.

"Sasuke…" she began, restlessly wiping her hands on her apron. Finally, she decided to get up, trying to think of what to say. Sasuke got up after her, following her to where she stood by the sink.

"Sasuke, that was a long time ago," Sakura finally said, avoiding eye-contact with him.

"What… what do you mean?" Sasuke asked, stunned, taking her by the shoulder and turning her to face him. Her eyes flickered down compulsively. Sasuke looked down her form. And that's when he saw it: her slightly bulging abdomen, clearly visible under the tight apron.

"You're... you are… with child?" he asked, bewildered. She nodded her head. Sasuke let go of her shoulders and stepped back. She was… with another man?

"Who?" he finally got out.

Just then, a shirtless Naruto entered the kitchen, yawning loudly. "Sakura-chan, can I have some coffee?" he asked, wiping sleep out of his eyes.

"Naruto," she called softly. Her tone of voice made him shake off his drowsiness and open his eyes quickly. He spotted Sakura by the sink, looking slightly shaken, and Sasuke just opposite her, gaping at him.

"Sasuke? What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, confused.

"You and Sakura…?" Sasuke asked him, still too shocked to form coherent sentences. However, he quickly snapped himself out of his reverie. "Did you force yourself on her, Naruto? I know you've always liked her… I leave for a few years, and you take advantage of her? How…?" he yelled angrily at Naruto.

"Shut up! Sakura is my wife!" Naruto shouted back at him. Sasuke just gaped. Sakura closed her eyes, imagining the pain Sasuke must be going through.

"Sakura… is this true?" Sasuke asked, turning to face Sakura.

"It's true, Sasuke. Naruto is my husband. We got married just after I turned eighteen, about a year and a half ago," Sakura said, walking over to Naruto. Naruto protectively wrapped his arms around her. Sasuke still just stared. Sakura, unable to take the silence, said desperately, "You were away so long. Naruto was always there for me!"

"Do you love him?" Sasuke asked.

"With all my heart," Sakura replied softly.

"So I have no place in Konoha," Sasuke said sadly, looking to the floor. Before they could reply, he was out the door.

The next day, Uchiha Sasuke had once again left Konoha.

* * *

Okay! So that's it. I hope you enjoyed it. After I wrote this, I realsied that I assumed that Sakura was the same age as Naruto, so sorry for that mistake. I think she might be slightly younger. Also, I hope you get the title. Sasuke got what he deserved (for the record, I actually really like Sasuke, I just think he made some sucky choices). 

Anyway, if you're willing, please leave me some constructive criticism.

Thanks,  
FlowersRcute.


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